Shade Tree Wisdom 9/30//15

Shade  Tree  Wisdom 9/30/15

          Remember the occasion when Jesus was a guest in the home of Mary and Martha, Good hostess Martha is bustling about being sure the guests needs were met, while Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening to his talk. Martha is bustling about making sure her guests needs are met. She says to Jesus, “ask Mary to help gets thing ready. And Jesus calm reply to Martha was:

“Mary has chosen

The good portion

Which will not be

Taken away from her.

Luke 10,42

          Just what does the Lord refer to? Why, the word which is the Light of the world.  Because Jesus is teaching about dying and rising again to be Savior and Mary is hearing, learning and believing, just as we are right now. Listen to Him to be saved.

          God bless the hearing.

GPD 9/30/15

Shade Tree Wisdom /9/915

St Shade Tree Wisdom 9/29/15

. Matthew reports that when Jesus was calling His disciples their action is reported so:

“and He called them.

Immediately they

Left the boat

And their father.

And followed Him.”

St. Matthew 4,21.22

          No hesitation, no debate, no ‘let’s talk about this for a while’, nor did they ask for time before they made the decision to follow the Lord.

If that had been the case I imagine some would have been talked out of it. “Look”, they’d say. “You just got started and it looks as if it will be a success. Make some money first and then we’ll see how it goes.

          Sound reasonable? It happens frequently, and often leaves us out, not doing anything.

          And the Lord is inviting, “The fields are white to the harvest”

          Our response should always, “Let us then be up and doing”.

GPD 9/29/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/18/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/18/15

          All of us, I am sure, we all spend time in prayer. Here is something a hymn verse says rather well when we do pray. Remember  to Whom we pray.

“Thou art coming to a King,\

Large petitions with thee bring;

For His grace and power are such,

None can ever ask too much.

LSB 779,2

GPD 7/28/15

          

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/27/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/27/15

          We had a brief power outage   here the at the village, so

That’s my message this morning, we are in all kinds of hands no matter our circumstances, but what comfort to know we are ever in th hands of God.

\GPD 9/27/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/26/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/26/15

          Here is some sound and rather up-to-date advice from the Book of Proverbs.

“Two things I  ask

Of You: deny them not for

Me before I die;

Remove far from me falsehood

and lying;

Give me neither poverty

Nor riches;

Feed me with food

That is needful

For me,

Lest I be full

And deny you and say

Who is the Lord?

or lest I be poor and steal

and profane the name of

of my God.”

Proverbs 30,7-9.

GPD 9/26/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/25/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/25/15

          Just a reminder,

“The Lord is

My  shall not want.”

Psalm 23,1.

          What more is there for us to live under Him.

GPD 9/25/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/24/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/24/15

          Toward the end f the Book of Hebews we read this:

“Therefore , since we are

 surrounded on every side

 by a great cloud of witnesses let us also

lay aside every weight, and the

sin clings so closely,

and let us run with endurance

 the race that is set before us,

looking to Jesus

the Founder and

Perfecto of our faith.”

Hebrews l2, l-2a.

          The letter to the Hebrews simply sets for the reason why we should and do claim Jesus Christ is our Savior from sin and our Savior.

GPD 9/24/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/23/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/23/15

          The letter to the Hebrews begins with these informative and enlightening words:

“Long ago, at many times

And in many ways,

God spoke to us

By the prophets,

But in these last days

He has spoken to us by His Son

Whom He appointed

The heir of all things,

Through Who also He created the world.

He is the radiance of the

Glory of God,

And the exact imprint of His nature.”

Hebrews 1, 1-3a.

In short, this letter is the story of Jesus Christ as Lord, more than angels, above any power except God, for Jesus is co-creator.

          And the letter makes very clear in is message that Jesus Christ I the Savior of this sin-filled word.

GPD 9/23/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/22/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/22/15

          The Book of Hebrews has these words for us today:

“Today if you hear

His voice, do not

Harden your hearts

As in the days of rebellion”.

          Those days he is talking about are the days we are living in. So his suggestion is, “Listen to the Word, and never neglect hearing it.” There’s always good things to learn.

GPD 9/22/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/22/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/22/15

          The Book of Hebrews has these words for us today:

“Today if you hear

His voice, do not

Harden your hearts

As in the days of rebellion”.

          Those days he is talking about are the days we are ;living in. So his suggestion is, “Listen to the Word, and never neglect hearing it.” There’s always good things to learn.

GPD 9/22/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/20/15

Shade Tree Wisdom m 9/20/15

          Here is a good word from God’s Holy Book for your meditations in odd moments this Sunday, the 20th, for the nonce.

“Blessed is the man

Who walks not in the counsel

Of the wicked,

Nor stands in

The way of sinners,

Nor sits in the seat

Of scoffers;

But his delight is in

The law of the Lord,

And on His law

he meditates

Day and night.

Psalm 1, 1.2

          Those words  open the Book of Psalms. You’ve probably read them often, even talked about what they mean. But did you spend time really Meditating on the real meaning? Blessed, refers to the state of spiritual mind, What do I think? How does the Lord it into your daily plans? Have you ever really ‘meditated’ any time? Why not this day, the 20th,do so. ? it is a healthy thing fir our spiritual life.

Why not today?

GPD 9/20/15

          

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/18/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9,18/15

          When he reached 120 years of age, in his farewell to his people, Israel, Moses said, to encourage them, for the years ahead:

“Be strong and courageous.

Do not fear or be

In dread of them ,

For it is the  Lord your

God who goes with you.

He will not leave you.

Or forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 3l,6.

          We can and should find encouragement for our daily walk, knowing that “the Lord your God who goes with you.” It is heartening to know God is ever here with us in our daily life.

          Take comfort and strength to face each day, please.

GPD 9/18/15

          

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/18/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/18/15

          In his letter to the church  St. James writes

“And pray for one another

That you may be healed”

James 5,16

          He puts his finger on a weak spot in many lives. This praying for the other, friend or foe, is a task we often take lightly or forget altogether.

          I dare to ask, does your prayer life contain others, either friend or foe, in your list of people you regularly,  and fervently, pray for?

          St. James ads something else.He writes first,

“And confess your sins to one another, that

You may be healed.”

          That ads an important demission to his words, does it not.

We do well to listen to  this venerable Church Father, St. James.

GPD 9/18/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/17/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/17/15

          Yesterday reminded me there are maybe other favorite states to sight-see or vacation in. How about  Tennessee with Nashville and the grand old opera house.  Or Kentucky with its horse farms and Churchill

Downs, and the Derby, or  Georgia with peaches, or  South Dakota and  Mount Rushmore.

 Or how about Instate. Houston with its ship Chanel and Dome, Dallas with its billion  dollar Football Stadium, the Big Bend country with its observatory, west Texas with its open places, The Big Thicker in East Texas Killeen with Ft. Hood. (And the busiest Wal Mart in the system).

          Your choose.

GPD 9/17/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/16/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/16/15

          Have you heard of the “Best for last” club? It comes from North Dakota, which seems to be the last state  people visit. Alaska is far

Distant, but Alaskan cruises are very popular right now, Hawaii folks tend to use as an anniversary gift for themselves.

          New York of course with its twin towers and sate of liberty. Washington DC and the white house. Florida, California, Texas, of course.

Then there are the gems often overlooked, Wisconsin and the Dells, Michigan and the Mackinaw bridge, built, I am told, with any fatality and maintained 24/7, and Frankenmuth.

          Each of us probably has a favorite spot to vacation or spend family time.

          So, what’s your favorite. Ever been to North Dakota?

GPD 9/16/15

Shad Tree Wisdom 9/14/14

Shade Tree Wisdom9/14/15

          In his fist letter St. John writes:

“My little children, I am writing

these things to you that you sin not.

But if anyone does sin, we have an

Adv0cate with the Father

Jesus Christ, the righteous.

He is the

Propitiating for our sins.

But not for ours only,

But also for the sins of the whole world.”

1 John 2, 1-4

          So in these words the Apostle touches on the universal problem of sin and offers the solution for that urgent problem, God’s forgiveness in Christ.

Wonderful comfort, that.

GPD 9/14/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/13/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/13/15

        Just this quick, but timely, reminder from St. James:

“You do not have.

Because you do not ask.”

James 4,2.

        And Shakespeare had king John intone:

“More things are

Are wrought

By prayer

Than this

World dreams of”

        Indeed, our Lord Jesus Himself taught us to pray for our needs.

GPD 9/13/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/12/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/12/15

          St. Paul in his letter t the Ephesians writes this word:

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against

                     the schemes of the devil. . .  

take the sw0rd if the Spirit

which is the Word of God.”

Ephesians 6,11.17.

          St. Paul is handing us the one bit of armor that is always effective against our enemy in this world, the devil, who is always at work trying to tear us away from the faith in Jesus Christ, our Savior. His most used tool is his always effective question, “Yea, hath God said”?  Best to pay attention to this word of warning.

GPD 9/12/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/11/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/11/15

          Yesterday we remembered being kind one to one another, a very familiar passage. But remember St. Paul slips in another word, the word’ tenderhearted’ finds its way into his message. A word we seldom hear and probably don’t even know what it means.

          But think for a moment, tenderhearted means having a feeling for the way another person feels or hears what we are saying. Being tenderhearted really means we feel deeply how our speech or action affects him.

          So being tenderhearted  really means our totl behavior all the time, doen’snt it?

GPD 9/11/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/10/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/10/15

        Gleaned from the message board of the village at gleanlock farms, my home, this:

“You will not ever

Regret being kind”

        Which calls to mind St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (4,32)

   “Be kind to one another,

Tenderhearted,

Forgiving one another,

As God, in Christ,

Has forgiven you”

        Which in turn calls forth this from Shade Tree”

Being kind means your living will be much more pleasant, being kind  builds character, and being kind will astonish some.

GPD 9/10/15

Shade Tree vWisdom 9/9/15

Shade Tree  Wisdom 9/9/15

          Here is a bit of wisdom picked up from the message board of The Village at Gleannlock Farms, my present home.

“Faith tells me that

No matter what lies

Ahead of me,

God

Is already there”

GPD 9/9/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/8/15

          Aha, and you thought nobody noticed?

“A man’s ways are before the eyes

Of the Lord, and He ponders

All his paths.”

Proverbs 5,21

          And here’s some advice from American poet Robert Frost.

(From Stopping by the woods on a snowy evening.)

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep
and miles to go before I sleep.”

GPD 9/8/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/6/15

          Here is a word it is well for us to remember daily, spoken by Moses in his farewell speech to the children of Israel:       

“Be strong and courageous,

Do not be in fear of them or dread them

For it the Lord our God who

Goes with you.

He will not leave you or forsake you”.

Deuteronomy 31,6

GPD 9/6/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/5/15

          So, how do you see yourself, competent, honorable, a good companion, filled with choice words and advice for others, and others are always glad to have your company? Then listen to this word from God:

“ The plans of the heart

Belong to man, but

The answer of the tongue

Belongs to the Lord.”

Proverbs 16,l

GPD 9/5/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/4/15

          The fear of the lord, holding God in awe, giving Him attentive honor, is the basic for this proverb.

“The fear of the Lord is

Instruction in wisdom,

And humility comes

Before honor.”

Proverbs l5,33.

GPD 9/4/15

          

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/3/15

          Is your meal time a pleasant time like the wisdom of the Proverbs suggests?

“Better is a dinner with herbs

where love is

than a fattened ox

 with hatred therewith.”

Proverbs 15.17.

GPD 9/3/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/2/15

Here is a choice bit of wisdom we can all profit from:

“A soft answer turns away wrath; but

A harsh word stirs

up anger.”

Proverbs 15,1

GPD 9/2/15

Shade Tree Wisdom 9/1/15

-

          Here is, I think, a Psalm that speaks a good word for a new month:

“I will instruct and teach

You in the way you should go;

I will counsel you with

My eye upon you.”

Psalm 32,9.

          Maybe our walk would be smoother if we did just that.

GPD 9/1/15